La Dolce Cinecittà

Tags:: Architecture; Culture

On the outskirts of Rome lies Cinecittà, the biggest movie studio in mainland Europe. Launched in 1937 as a propaganda factory for Mussolini, it later became a playground for some of the most stylish and iconic filmmakers in history: Sergio Leone shot spaghetti westerns there; Fellini called it his “temple of dreams.” More recently, it was home to Scorsese's "Gangs of New York." Usually, cinephiles can only get a peek at Cinecitta’s storied campus via private group tours—not easy to arrange for the average tourist—but through November 30th, the studio’s gates are open to the general public for the first time. The main attraction is an exhibit of Cinecittà memorabilia, but I was just as interested in the studio itself: A prime example of WWII-era modernist architecture.

— Rico Gagliano

Photo by: Rico Gagliano

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